


It's Just Like Acting!

by FoiblePNoteworthy



Series: The Non-Existent Twin [2]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Gen, im sorry, iroh's plotting, this is set directly after the first one, vaguely comedy, zuko pretends to be his own twin and it works
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-27
Updated: 2020-01-27
Packaged: 2021-02-19 07:30:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22440784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FoiblePNoteworthy/pseuds/FoiblePNoteworthy
Summary: Iroh had suspected, as soon as he'd heard about the Avatar's mysterious escape from the Pohuai Stronghold, that his nephew had something to do with it.He's never expected this to have come out of it.Or: The Non-Evil Twin part 4 (though it should be 1.5 I guess?) - Iroh and Zuko make plans
Relationships: Iroh & Zuko (Avatar)
Series: The Non-Existent Twin [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1573438
Comments: 33
Kudos: 1293





	It's Just Like Acting!

**Author's Note:**

> Okay yeah so this is just a shorter bit that I'm offering while I try to figure out what's going on in Ba Sing Se and also am focusing more on the guilt series which is just. angst. and im sorry. but i actually know where the story's going there rather than just having vague ideas so my focus is over there... plus, y'know. uni  
> I'll defo finish this at some point within the next few months, and I'll try not to leave you guys without an update for too long, even if they're just little ones, but yeah, after the first few were like once a week or something... that's not gonna happen anymore

Two days after his all-night walk (which mysteriously coincided with the Avatar’s escape from the Pohuai Stronghold), Zuko had gone to his Uncle’s quarters to talk to him about a “useful but potentially dangerous development, which could require a degree of delicacy”.

Iroh was more than pleased that his nephew was going to him for advice unprompted, especially with an issue that he considered of great importance.

He wasn’t sure how pleased he was to hear that the Avatar had genuinely believed that Zuko had a twin brother with an identical scar who had never been mentioned before. On the one hand, this could be a great opportunity for his nephew to get a more rounded perspective on the other nations, at least, with a little push from Iroh, it could be. And he was always happy when Zuko socialised, and he seemed so pleased to have a win for once.

On the other hand… he had never thought too much about the Avatar’s age, and how that might impact his skills. He felt a shiver of dread for the fate of the world.

“You’re quite certain he believed you?” Iroh asked, unsure of what answer he wanted.

Zuko scowled, which was to be expected.

“It’s not that I doubt you, nephew, it’s just that…”

“It’s ridiculous? He would be a fool to believe such nonsense?”

“Well, yes.”

Zuko slouched, looking away. “I know. But I’m certain that he believed me. What I don’t know is how to keep him believing – or what to do with this. There’s no way I could get him on the ship without him realising what’s going on. He’s not _that_ stupid.”

“Yes, the question is how to use this…” Iroh agreed, not quite meaning what his nephew surely thought he had. This was an excellent opportunity for Zuko to learn about his enemy – both for the benefit of attacking him, and for the benefit of his own understanding of the war. If he could phrase his suggestions correctly, he could make his nephew befriend the Avatar, could let him lead himself to the same conclusions that Iroh had come to so long ago.

Not to mention that a gentler approach would protect the Avatar from his nephew for the time being. If he was really willing to believe such obvious lies, there was a decent chance that he really would follow Zuko directly into a jail cell. It would be best for now not to let Zuko try it.

“I suspect that you will have to solidify this trust beyond doubt before you try to do anything of substance with it,” he said. "It is not worth risking this chance for an easier or earlier victory."

Zuko frowned, impatient, “I can build all the trust I want, but that won’t do much for me if someone else gets to him before me.”

Iroh smiled. “So wouldn’t the most useful way to build trust be to protect him from others seeking to poach him?”

Zuko’s eyebrow raised, a slight smile coming to his lips. “You might have an idea there, Uncle. I might even be able to gain his friends’ trust by doing that. They seem to think we’re all unified, it wouldn’t make any sense for _Zuko_ to spend weeks protecting them from Zhao. Logic dictates that it has to be someone else.”

Iroh nodded. “It might be best to wait until the Avatar doesn’t even doubt that ‘Li’ and ‘Zuko’ are different people before you risk letting them in on the secret.”

“Maybe I should change my ‘Zuko’ persona a little bit as well,” Zuko said. “I’ve already established ‘Li’ as a soft soul, the worse ‘Zuko’ is, the less he has in common with ‘Li’.”

Zuko had a little smile on his face that he couldn’t quite extinguish. His mission to capture the Avatar had suddenly become a play, and he had always enjoyed acting.

Had things gone differently, Iroh thought, he would have been under the spotlight with his mother night after night, acting out false swordfights and playing the hero, instead of training his steel in secret and unknowingly becoming the villain.

Regardless, he had an opportunity to spend all his time acting and call it _work_. That little spark of excitement was enough to light up his whole face.

“I think, nephew,” Iroh said, a smile of his own spreading across his face, “that that is an excellent idea.”

**Author's Note:**

> ive got plans for another short soonish (?) but im not sure that its actually worth writing so we'll see whats happening with that  
> by the time i get to ba sing se i promise its mostly just gonna be zuko and toph fucking with everyone until the plot attacks, but yeah I've got other writing in other projects to get through first  
> also i have tumblr now if anyone wants to talk to me there https://foiblepnoteworthy.tumblr.com/


End file.
